28 Tips To Make Guests Feel Welcome In Your Home
While I don’t strive to have guests at my house 24/7, I do truly believe the more the merrier. Everyone is invited to my home. Whether it’s a festive party or a casual drop-in, the magic of home entertaining begins with making guests feel as if they’re wanted and cared about. I’ve got some tried-and-true tips for hosting guests that will ensure your home entertaining is as warm and welcoming as a sun-kissed porch in June.
Welcome Guests
No matter who’s knocking on your door, be it the neighbor who you share gardening tips with or a relative from miles away, the spirit of welcoming guests is universal. I’ve found that a few thoughtful preparations to make guests feel welcome can turn any visit into a seamless experience. Let’s unfurl the welcome mat and get to transforming your abode into everyone’s favorite home away from home.
Turn on Exterior Lights
It’s a simple gesture that warmly says, “We’re ready for you!”. It’s also extremely important if you have visitors that are older or have mobility problems. You don’t want them tripping on an uneven walkway or steps. Plus it makes your house look distinct.
Clear Walkways
Shoveling the walkways isn’t just courteous, it’s essential. The last thing you want is guests slipping on ice or wet leaves. Also make sure any other obstacles like kids toys or the garden hose are not on the walkway.
Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash
Inform Them of Parking
Do you live in a residential-only parking zone? Is your driveway so long that you can’t see the house from the street?
Circling the block searching for parking can take the wind out of any welcome. If your house is hidden, tie balloons to the mailbox. If parking is limited, move your cars to the street early in the day to guarantee a couple of spots. Or if you’re close friends with a neighbor attending, ask if other guests can use their driveway too.
Being Extra: If you’re in the city and there’s a nearby parking garage, you can buy spots in advance for your visitors. It’s a wow move for sure!
Find Out About Any Allergies or Food Restrictions
As someone with food restrictions, I know the displeasure of walking into a party and realizing the only thing I can eat is chips and salsa – whomp whomp!
A quick text to your guests about allergies and food preferences ensures that your feast is enjoyed by all. You might be surprised to learn that you’re the first host to ask them in advance. It will certainly make them feel valued and abolish their need to eat beforehand. Trust me, I’ve pre-gamed food too many times to count to avoid being hangery at a party!
Stock Toiletries
You know that moment of panic in someone else’s bathroom when you realize there’s no toilet paper? Yep, we’ve all been there. Keeping your bathroom stocked with essentials like toilet paper, tissues, tampons, and a plunger can save your visitors from an awkward SOS in the powder room.
Being Extra: Scented and unscented soap options: I like a scented liquid soap and an unscented bar soap. Also include other just-in-case items like breath mints, lotion, hair ties, bug spray, lint roller, sunscreen, toothpicks/floss picks, bandages, antacids, etc.
Coat and Bag Storage
Stepping over a mountain of coats and/or wet shoes piled by the door isn’t exactly welcoming. If you are able, remove some coats from your entry closet beforehand so there is room for guest’s coats and bags. You can double the space by temporarily hanging an over-the-door coat rack on the outside of the closet. You can also use these over-the-door hooks on the outside of your pantry or any other door that is convenient.
If you lack a coat closet, a little trick I’ve used in the past is to remove a picture hanging by the entry, then using a mounted coat hook for the evening. Just be sure the screws holding the painting are anchor screws that can hold 50+ lbs of weight.
Of course, you could always use the tried and true master or guest room bed to hold coats and bags.
Kids’ Items
And for those adorable tagalongs, a box of kids’ toys ensures that their little ones are entertained while the grown-ups indulge in some much-needed socialization. Or if you have your own children, make them hosts too, and put them in charge of welcoming the other kids into their playroom or bedrooms.
Party Guests
When the night is young and the guest list is full, there’s a special kind of alchemy that turns a gathering into an event. Here’s how I ensure my party guests are entertained from the second they arrive.
Set the Mood
I’m a firm believer in mood lighting. It’s the first step in creating an intimate atmosphere.
Whether it’s candles flickering warmly or a fireplace casting shadows, you want some kind of fire glow to make the night feel special. So what if you have rambunctious kids, pets, or clumsy guests? LED candles are your answer – a lot of them are real wax candles with an LED flame! Bonus, you can light them all at once with a remote control.
Keep in mind the brightness and warmth of your lighting. For daytime parties, prep, or cleaning you can use daylight or cool lighting, also known as 3000-6000 Kelvin. Switch to warm lights for evening parties, which is in the 2000-3000 Kelvin range, to give a cozy vibe.
Don’t forget the music! It’s helpful to create a playlist in advance, but it isn’t necessary. I like to have a playlist with party favorites from me and my significant other. I also really enjoy instrumental versions of familiar songs; whether you like pop, punk, or bluegrass, there is likely a playlist of instrumental covers.
Being Extra: It takes a little preplanning and knowing your friends, but if you have a large record collection, set out some records that you think guests will enjoy so they don’t have to riffle through all your shelves.
Invest in a whole house sound system with a speaker(s) in each room. Set the volume for each room based on function.
Food and Drink Stations
Personally, I like to keep the food and drink area a little separated. This way company are not all gathered in one room or area. Makes it a little less claustrophobic. An easy way to do this is to have the food in the kitchen or dining room, and the drinks in the lounge or family room (or dining room if food is in the kitchen).
If there is a main gathering area, like the family room for the Super Bowl or a patio table for Independence day, I like to put some nibbles on tables in those areas so guests don’t have to leave the main attraction as often. Additionally, buckets of beer or wine bottles in chillers are a welcome inclusion.
Having a self pour drink station frees me up from playing bartender all night. A stocked bar with a variety wine, beer, liquor, and non-alcoholic options invites guests to help themselves. The key is to make it inviting and accessible, with glasses, garnishes, and ice all within easy reach.
Being Extra: Hire caterers to handle the coordination and flow of drinks and food for your party. They are professionals so they’ll have a good idea how to best setup your house for service.
House Cocktail
Oftentimes your guests will not be confident enough to be their own mixologist. Creating a house cocktail takes out the guesswork. Matching flavors with the holiday or season will sure to be intriguing for your guests.
It’s also a brilliant way to get rid of some close-to-empty bottles. Either look up a recipe with your desired spirit or make a big punch – just be sure it’s doctored enough that most guests will find it delicious.
Being extra: If it’s Halloween, you could do a “If You Dare” concoction which is made from anything you’re getting rid of – see how many people are brave enough to try your disharmonious swill!
House Wine
Having a house wine is a simple way to add an air of exclusivity to the evening. There are two avenues you can take with this idea. Either have several bottles you bought for this particular event or serve a specific bottle that you always have on hand.
Thanks to my wine subscription, I always have a special wine on hand from a producer I visited several years ago. However, I do not always serve it at parties. Depending on the event and time of year, I usually pick one red and one white to serve the entire evening. If I happen to have a few wine connoisseurs, we might open a few other bottles from my reserve.
Seating Areas
I’m all about creating ample seating by moving furniture if necessary. For buffet or cocktail parties, you can use the dining table or bar for your food spread. The chairs won’t be needed, so split them up in separate corners or sections. Seating vignettes encourage intimate conversations and ensure everyone has a comfy spot to settle into.
Arrange your space for the function of your gathering. For the Super Bowl, we take the leaves out of the dining room table and push it against a wall. Then bring a bedroom tv and put it on the sideboard. This way, we can have multiple viewing areas.
Photo by Nikola Johnny Mirkovic on Unsplash
Name Tags
Name tags might give a corporate conference vibe, but if you’re having a meet & greet they make things so much easier. Like with your new neighbor, even though he told you his name 3 times, you already forgot – thank goodness there’s a name tag!
And you don’t necessarily have to do sticker-on-the-lapel name tags. You can use markers on your plastic cups. Or if it’s a sitdown dinner, folded cardboard with each guest’s name on both sides. This way they know where they are sitting and those opposite them can see their name.
Being Extra: Have a card company or Etsy store make custom double sided name tags. Put them in metal name tag stands. After the evening is done, gather them up and keep them in a safe place for future parties.
Everyday Guests
When it comes to hosting guests, it’s not always about grand parties or meticulously planned dinners. Sometimes it’s the everyday visits from friends, neighbors, or the unexpected ‘just passing by’ that truly test our hosting mettle. Here’s how I keep ready for those spontaneous visits.
Tidy Clutter
This is not a ‘how to declutter your home’ article. This is how to tidy quickly when you know someone is going to be at your house in say 30 minutes. Yes, keeping your house tidy on a regular basis makes this easier, but anyone can make their space look 3 times better by doing a few things.
My favorite method is looking at the room and asking “What is the messiest thing in this room?”. Tackle that spot first. Put away as many things from that area as you can. Then look at the 2nd messiest spot, and so on.
If you are still left with ‘homeless’ items or things that will take too long to put away (dirty dishes), then think “clear surfaces” and “grouped items”.
Clearing surfaces instantly gives a sense of calm and tidiness. Grouped items makes the room seem a little more organized. Put dirty dishes in the sink, stack all paperwork from the kitchen in one pile, put laundry in one basket, consolidate the homework project on the dining table and move to a corner or side table.
We are not worrying about vacuuming floors or spraying Pledge on anything. This is strictly about simplifying visual clutter.
Bathroom
In the bathroom, quickly wipe down the most touched surface. Toilet lid, seat, bowl, and handle. Then move to the sink and wipe the counter and the faucet.
That’s it. You’re done.
Being Extra: Put a new hand towel in the bathroom, this is only extra if the towel is lightly used. If it’s filthy then, it’s required!
Photo by Amira Aboalnaga on Unsplash
Offer Refreshments
I always have a variety of drinks ready, from a crisp albarino to sparkling water, because you never know what will hit the spot. Snackwise, I like to keep around mixed nuts, crackers & cheese, microwave popcorn, or anything that is quick finger food.
Favorites
Keeping a stock of your friends’ and neighbors’ (or any frequent guests’) favorite snacks or drinks is like giving them a personal welcome each time they drop in. How special would you feel if someone said “I keep castelvetrano olives on hand because I know they’re your favorite snack”?
Overnight Guests
The true test of hospitality is how you welcome those who stay a little longer. An exceptional host turns a simple night’s stay into a 5-star hotel experience. Here’s how I make my overnight guests feel pampered in their guest beds.
Welcome Basket
A thoughtfully curated guest basket filled with bottled water, local snacks, personal care items (like earplugs and lotion), and maybe a novel or crossword book is a superb start to a visit. Add a personal touch with a cute card.
Prep Room
Prepping the room is essential. It sets the stage. Making sure to use fresh sheets, vacuum, and tidy surfaces. Also provide extra blankets because comfort is king.
Being Extra: Provide a variety of pillows so that your guests can choose what works best for them. I like to have 3 pillows, styles – soft, medium, & firm, for each guest staying.
Make Space for Belongings
Having at least one place to put their suitcases and one surface gives your guest proper room. Additionally, giving them a closet or whole dresser makes them feel like they can spread out. This is another occasion where you could utilize those over the door coats racks if you’re short on storage space.
Outfit the Room
A few things I always like to have in my guest room are tissues, bedside lamp, a variety of chargers (preferably plugged in within reach of the bed), a lint roller, mirror, and tv with the remote on the nightstand. Additionally, I like to include a nightlight so that they can navigate an unfamiliar room if your overnight guests need to get up during the night.
Space Heater or Fan
When it comes to ensuring the comfort of overnight guests, mastering the climate of their room is key. All of my bedrooms have ceiling fans. You never know who sleeps hot, even in the colder months. In the winter, I have a space heater in each bedroom for a toastier sleeping experience. I also like to include a multi function alarm clock/room thermometer so I can check the temperature of the room before they arrive.
Linens and Toiletries
I make sure to have plush, freshly laundered towels ready in the guest bathroom, as well as all the basic must haves – shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion. I take care to supply toiletries without major allergens like sulfates (SLS) or parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or ethylparaben). Including special makeup towels is a thoughtful addition, preventing mascara mishaps.
Being Extra: Include a new razor and a new loofah. Also add some exfoliating body scrub.
Photo by shawnee wilborn on Unsplash
Go the Extra Mile
Adding special touches can leave a lasting impression. Arrange fresh flowers in a small vase on the nightstand. Have robes and slippers ready for each of your overnight guests. But not just any robe, get one of those cozy, heavy ones like you find at high end spas and memory foam slippers.
Provide additional seating like a bench or armchair, which is helpful for putting on shoes and socks. Amenities like an iron or steamer are nice-to-haves, but almost essential if your guest has any formal events during their stay.
A soothing sheet spray feels truly indulgent.
Stock the Fridge
This is where some of the previous tips come into play. Ask in advance if anyone has food allergies or restrictions. Also ask if they have any favorite foods or drinks. I like to stock the fridge with snacks and guest favorites to make sure they always have something to munch on. It makes your visitors feel special.
House Tour
When the guests arrive, do a house tour right away. Show them to their rooms so they can put down their luggage. Then escort them around, making sure to highlight essentials like the medicine cabinet, where extra toilet paper is stashed, and where to get a late night drink or snack. Also show them where they can set up a workspace, in case they need to catch up on emails or make a call. After the tour, you should also give them house keys and/or codes to everything they need – front door, garage, gym, or any other amenities for easy access.
Show Them How to Use Electronics
Everyone’s house has some quirks when it comes to electronics. A quick tutorial on things like the TV, wifi password, coffee maker, gas fireplace and thermostat spares guests from fumbling with remotes and apps.
City Guide
This is another easy way to make guests feel welcome in your home. I love leaving my own city guide with my personal favorite spots and popular destinations within walking distance to encourage exploration. Places to include could be restaurants, bars, parks, museums, famous sights, amusement parks, or natural attractions. You can do this digitally or handwrite it and include it in the welcome basket.
Every part of your home can whisper a welcome that feels personal and heartfelt. With these tips, your visitors, whether they’re here for a party, a day, or a week, will feel the love and thought you’ve put into their stay. And isn’t that what hosting is all about? Making connections, sharing spaces, and creating memories that last long after the front door has closed behind them.
